"I don't like it but I want to - learn more about Predain, how they think about it, what problems they're trying to solve with it, what the alternatives are - before I do more than express concern. A corrupt guard is a really big problem for people, and it wouldn't surprise me if everyone in Predain sees this as a big improvement, which would make it very hard to change without offering something else that solves their problems. And I want to be able to point Ma'ar at examples of the things I'm worried about - the manipulative use of compulsions to hurt people or preserve power over them - I'm sure there are some, but I want to actually find them so it doesn't seem like philosophizing."

"That makes sense. ...Our church operates in the Ceej Empire, in a limited capacity. I can write to those local temples and ask for such examples, if it would help." 

"That would be very useful. Guessing where some habit will lead you is never as good as actually checking."

Nod. "...Does your own god's church have teachings on this, or examples of where it can go wrong?" 

Oh boy, do they ever! Iomedae would be happy to give a compressed version of the standard accounting from Aroden's life and holy books of things that go terribly wrong when you set up an empire and don't pay close enough attention to how the incentives will be sustainable without very virtuous people showing up periodically to make everyone stop being awful. This particular lecture series is mostly a scathing critique particularly of Taldor (without getting Taldor to stop funding her crusade, so it has to be slightly subtle) but a lot of it is more broadly applicable. 

She's only going to give the compressed version, though, because there are other people she owes a meeting, this morning, and she also wants to get the prisoner exchange requests sent off.

The priestess of the Nameless God will hang raptly onto every word of her compressed version, and express very emphatically that she would like to speak again later once the immediate emergencies are dealt with. 

The shamans of the Star-Eyed can meet with her next? 

She is, again, honored and appreciative.

...It's actually just Ravenwing, this time, and Lionwind to translate. Ravenwing bows deeply to Iomedae. 

"I apologize for Silverhorse's absence. He spent much of the last day on the Moonpaths, petitioning for Her advice." 

She hesitates, as though not quite sure how to say the next part. 

Ravenwing shuffles, then lifts her chin and meets Iomedae's eyes. 

"This is - not something we have ever done before, for someone not of our people. I...would not have known before today that it was possible at all. But Silverhorse says that She would speak to you, on the Moonpaths, if you are willing." 

" - I am. This - permits us to be more visible to your goddess, and receive her guidance more directly?"

"...Yes. It is - rarely done, it is costly both for Her and for the mortal facing it, but it seems She cannot speak to you directly in any other way - Silverhorse's understanding is that She can barely see you, even in Foresight. Which I suppose makes sense given that you serve another god, but it is - still worrying, especially given how powerful you are and how little you know of our world." 

"I understand. I would be honored to meet with her, on the understanding that this is a peaceful meeting for the purpose of mutual comprehension, to which I will bring no weapons and am assured of no betrayal."

Solemn nod. "I am glad to hear it. ...Do you want to plan a future time for this? It is - generally very exhausting to speak with Her face to face, I would not wish to ask this of you before you have dealt with especially urgent needs." 

"I can only imagine. Speaking to Aroden is the same way. Perhaps after the prisoner exchange, which I'm trying to get done by tomorrow."

"That makes sense. Tomorrow, then." 

The hertasi will escort Iomedae out of the room. Does she want to talk to Shayeen next, or Marlana of the temple of Bestet, or could they perhaps arrange for both of them to be in the same room so Iomedae can speak with them at the same time? 

Same room sounds good! Iomedae obviously owes both of them an explanation of recent events, considering she imposed on both of them.

The hertasi can make that happen! They're so good at making things happen. 

Shayeen is in the library! (Well. One of many libraries in Urtho's Tower. No one has specifically informed her that they have more than one library.) 

Marlana has been finding lots of things to do - it's never hard to find lots of things to do - but none of them are the combination of urgent and high-context that she cannot either pause or hand off on two minutes' notice. She will also be in the library by the time Iomedae reaches it. 

- wow. Correction: she will be in the library and staring in awe at the number of shelves of books here. 

It's a really nice library! Iomedae will wave them both over so she can apologize to them and explain the whole ridiculous sequence of events from her perspective. And hand Need back to Shayeen. "I doubt I would have survived without her."

"Yeah, I know, I wouldn't've survived without her either."

Shayeen hasn't forgotten how it felt, in the moment when Iomedae smiled at her, and suddenly she just had (no, she must've always had that option, she'd just never noticed it before) the option of...deciding not to be scared...

And, sure, it was harder, it was a lot harder, once Iomedae wasn't right there. But Shayeen isn't stupid and she isn't a coward. And although she's been doing a lot of other things over the last day – like learning how to read, which is incredible, actually – she's had plenty of time to metaphorically fling herself at - at the feeling she experienced once, briefly, of being as brave and strong as Iomedae is. 

She doesn't think she's very good at it, yet. Obviously she's got a long way to go. Maybe Iomedae can teach her, if she seems worth teaching. 

Deep breath. Gather her courage. 

"- You didn't really tell me anything before. About what you and Need were doing. I - want to know more." 

"Some followers of Vkandis decided to kill me, though the church has denounced this decision of theirs. They stole a powerful weapon of Urtho's in order to do it. It does immense damage across a fifty mile range, so I wanted to be far away from civilization when they tried to use it on me. They told me I had until dawn, for which I genuinely am immensely grateful. So Need and I went up very far north and waited."

"....Is Vkandis usually that stupid? - I mean, uh. I still don't know anything. But it seems like it'd be stupid to try to kill you." 

"I don't know very much about Vkandis. The representatives of the Star-Eyed goddess suggested I was making prophecy noisy, which ....makes sense, if I'm so far from where I'm supposed to be, and would make any god nervous - but it's an astonishingly irresponsible handling of that nervousness, I'm surprised someone else didn't pay Him to not do that and it seems like a bad sign about how things work around here.

It seems possible that Vkandis can see that I'm going to act against His interests enough it was in fact not stupid to try to kill me."